Wichita eagle., 1887-04-13
HORSEMANSHlP ON THE PLAINS.
How the "Broncho Buster'' Tames the
Wild Steed Of the Prairies

1
Imagine yourself then firmly seated
If the horse is blinded you reach forward
and remove the blind. Now the struggle
begins. For moment he stands in lis
| tracks, but you can feel his muscles grow
ing tense as he gathers himself together
| Crouching like wildcatabout to spring,
he leaps high into the air and twists and
shakes himself in mad effort to throw
oil the unaccustomed burden. He comes
down with his head between his fore legs
end his tail behind his hind legs, striking
the ground stiff legged; and as soon as he
has given you the full benefit OF the shock
c-ouches for another leap This is '.buck-
Ing CT as the more initiated commonly
term il, ''pitching." No two horses pitch
alike, ard no horse pitches twice alike
Sometimes he VIII strike On his fore feet
and nose, throwing his breach so high as
to turn q somersauit forward. Sometimes
be Will make a lateral jump, and at others
"change end" or turn half round in the
air. Now @ "bronco buster" generally
does his work in the presence Of a hand
ful Of spectators; and IL he is one OF the
few men who are absolutely certain that
nothing can unseat him, he lets the
horse buck himself weary, while he de-
..+kaAS l44C DJ lC-iliS anu -@t4A15
q cigarette or stopping TO pick up hand
ful OF dirt and throwit in the horses face.
Another favorite proof Of his dexterity is
10 roU-el the horse from ear to tail.
4 sharp pull at the horses head just at
the right moment, and the steel thrown
into his flank VIII break the rhythm OF
his pitching, and q sharp blow Oh the
hind quarters with your whip compels
l.. J.,
a hundred yards or so and stop suddenly
with his fore legs planted firmly before
him This OF course necessitates your
throwing your body well back, and he
seizes this opportunity to rear and throw
himself violently Cn his back. Now is the
time when q man shows whether nc IS
rider or foolhardy braggart. Obviously
you cannot retain your seat. \ horse IN
executing this naleuver viii often thrust
the horn Of the saddle fast in the ground
and be left kicking turtlewise. You
must see how he is going to strike and
throw yourself to the one side or the
other, so that you have always ono foot
in position to cross him with as he strug
gies TO rise. 1t is perfectly legitimate for
a horse TO throw himself backward in
this way three or fOtlr times, but when
you have conclusiyely demonstrated to
him that he accOInplishes nothing by it,
if be persists in it it must be treate as
willful misconduct. If you cannot, by
squirting him il tho flank as he rises and
thus bringing his hind parts into action
prevent his overrearing, you must
strike him {. sharp blow between the ears
with the butt of your whip as he rises,
and let him understand that he is over
stepping the boundsof fair fighting.
after an hour or two he is completely
exhausted and should be turned loose
until the next day. His second lesson
viii try your seat and your patience even
more severely, for you viii then have
bitted him for the first time and he has
learned better how to handle himself
under your weight. Bat on the third day,
if he is not very recalcitrant subject, he
Will begin to learn something, and is then
considered a ''broke" horse.-Cor. New
York Sun.